Happy New Year to You

The end of one year.

The beginning of another.

A perfect time to celebrate.

An even better time to take a break.

See some of you back here in a week or so.

Happy New Year's Blessings to You All.

For Her

I blog for Sara Madalin.

I don't do it to air my opinions or grievances. I don't write well enough to inspire anyone. I don't do it to change the world. I certainly don't do it for followers or comments, although I am grateful for the words of encouragement I do receive here. But I blog for ONE reason - my daughter. I blog to keep the memories of her childhood. I do it to remember and keep record of the things going on in her life, to show her the people and events that were part of her life, and how she blessed us and so many other people.

These pictures are perfect depictions of the reason I blog. It's Sara Madalin with a close friend and church-member of ours, Dr. Tony Byrd.

Since she was able to reach out and touch him, she's done that every time she sees him. He has a mustache. He was probably one of the first men she was close enough to that she could reach out and touch his mustache. It has always fascinated her. I guess it feels and looks very different to her for someone to have hair on their face. It always makes her laugh. And I think it's so sweet that every time he's near, she reaches out and touches the mustache on his face.

I know that's a simple thing. Without the blog, it's something that would have gotten lost among all the other memories I try to keep for her. But because we snapped these pictures, and because I placed it here for her, one day she can look at this and remember this sweet man and one of her first relationships as a child.

Also, I blog to help her see (someday) how very much she is loved and how desperately she was wanted. I realize that she's going to have to deal with it sooner or later. Being adopted, I mean. I've thought about it so many times. It scares me to think that some day she's going to come to me with tears in her eyes and ask me, "Why was I adopted? Why didn't my birth Mommy and Daddy keep me?"

I know she's going to have a million questions. She's going to have insecurities. She's most likely going to act out at some point. I don't know what our future really holds when it comes to dealing with the issues surrounding this life God has called her to live. And I don't know how we'll handle all these things.

But I do know that I can show her how much she was wanted by us. I can show her that we never once doubted that she was OUR child. That is so plain to see in these pictures and stories I share on this blog.

So, even when I don't really have anything earth-shattering to share, I blog. When I'm tired or frustrated or discouraged by the events of the day, I blog.

Because one day she'll see it, and she'll understand. I blog for her.

Miss Independent

Sara Madalin has been feeding herself finger foods for a while. I'll let her eat pieces of pizza or chicken nuggets cut into small pieces. But there are some foods, like spaghetti or mac-n-cheese, that I still try to feed her myself. Well, I found out last week that she is too independent for her Mommy to feed her - even the sloppy food. I fixed her plate and sat down at her table to try and feed her. She would not eat. So, I handed her the fork and let her try. And she ate almost the entire plate of food.

I did say ALMOST the entire plate of food. A lot of it ended up on her shirt and on her face.

And she's not quite mastered eating with a utensil. She'll hold the fork in one hand, and pick up her food with the other hand.

But at least she's eating.

She's becoming quite independent and learning to speak her mind. When she wants a bite of something, she's starting to say "Pees" (Please) or do her sign for "more". Not every time. But a good bit of the time. When she doesn't want something, she'll say, "Uh-uh" and turn her head away. So, she's learning to communicate with us. Which is a good thing. Up until now there's been a lot of whining because she just can't communicate with us. She's also following direction a little better. We'll tell her to go get her cup (from where ever she left it) and she'll get it and bring it to us. We have a long way to go, but she's getting there.

I was thinking a few days ago about this past year. Last year we celebrated having a baby. We talked about how that baby had changed our lives. We no longer have a baby. We have a child - a little girl - with a mind and feelings and thoughts and attitude and personality all her own.

Now if we can just harness that mind and those feelings and thoughts and attitude and personality for GOOD instead of mischief... I think that will be our challenge this next year.

Christmas Morning 2009

Christmas Eve 2009

For as long as Reagan and I have known each other, we've always gone to his sister's house on Christmas Eve. Many of us get together there and she cooks several crock-pots full of chili. When her children where younger, we'd wait around until they were in bed and then we'd help put out their gifts. Now that they are older, and we have a little one, we don't stay quite as late.

I knew that Sara Madalin would be sleepy or asleep when we got home, so we went ahead and put out Santa's cookies before we left. We pulled out our plate for Santa's cookies.

Then I placed several cookies on the plate and filled a glass with milk. We took them over to the fireplace. Sara Madalin thought the cookies were for her. She sat down and grabbed her one off the plate.

I told her she could have one bite.

Evidently, when I turned my back, she thought she could have more. She ended up getting chocolate chips all over the front of her shirt and the floor. We had to change her shirt before we left.

When we arrived at Aunt Sue-Sue's there was a surprise for Sara Madalin.

She got a new kitchen set. She is a busy little girl, and this is a perfect toy for her busy hands and mind.

I think she liked it.

After dinner, we played for a little while longer, then came home to await Santa's arrival.

Merry Christmas from Sugar

I'm Gettin' Nuttin' For Christmas

I'm getting' nuttin' for Christmas...

Mommy and Daddy are mad.

I'm gettin' nuttin for Christmas...

Cause I ain't been nuttin' but BAD!

City Drug Party 2009

Tuesday night we attended the annual City Drug's Christmas Party. It was held at BassPro Shop in Pearl. We arrived a little early to look around. Sara Madalin took a quick little nap on the ride there. That nap did wonders for her. She was in such a good mood when we got there.

Here are many of the employees of City Drugs and Krystal Gravel.

The food was so good. And Sara Madalin actually did pretty well. Before we ate, she made her rounds to see everyone. I don't think there was one person she didn't smile at or stop to touch. She is quite the ham when it comes to social gatherings.

Here is Hayes and B. B. during dinner.

Scooter and Trey.

This is so sweet. Hayes came over to talk to Sara Madalin and then she leaned over and gave him a kiss.

After we ate, I changed her clothes because I knew she'd be asleep before we got home. She normally goes to bed between 7:30 and 8:00. It was 9:00 before we even finished dinner. After she was changed, we walked around for her to see the animals. She loved it.

But by the time we left, she was so tired she just put her head down on Daddy's shoulder.

I think she enjoyed herself. She was asleep about 5 minutes after we left.